


This Time

by Mary_chat



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Bridgette and Marinette are sisters, F/M, Soooo cute, awwwwwww, four year old Marinette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:16:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28089891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mary_chat/pseuds/Mary_chat
Summary: Marinette’s head fell into her arms. With white knuckles, she gripped her elbows as if that would stop the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.She was fourteen. And she just witnessed everyone who ever cared about her explode. Only reversed thanks to a certain time Akuma. She just saw the deaths of her friends and family.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	This Time

Marinette padded across the wooden floors, her bare feet making small noises despite her best efforts to be silent. She was lonely, bored. Mommy and Daddy were in the bakery, a place that Mommy had said was too dangerous for four-year-olds. She told her when she was a big kid that she could go see inside of it. But Bridgette was a big kid. She already knew how to add and subtract, and she wasn’t allowed to go in the bakery either.

Which meant she was probably in her room, playing without her.

Marinette stopped walking just before her door. It was open, and he heard the sound of her voice imitating her dolls from her room. She leaned forward, peeking around the door to see Bridgette in her pink pajamas. She stiffened and turned around to where Marinette stood.

Marinette shot back from the door, not ready to be seen. She stood frozen in the hallway, straining her ears for any sign that she was quick enough and Bridgette didn’t see her. Eventually, he heard Bridgette begin playing again. She let out a breath and adjusted her onesie. It was red and black. It was her favorite set of pajamas.

She leaned around the door again to see Bridgette’s stuffed animal bear, giving one of the dolls a ride on his back. Bridgette turned around to face her again, and she hesitantly stepped through her doorway.

They stared at each other for a moment. Marinette rubbed her nose and shyly asked, “Play with me, Bridgey?”

Bridgette picked Miss Sally from the Bear's back and waved it in front of her. “I’m already playing!”

Marinette’s expression fell. “Oh,” she said as she gazed longingly at Bridgette’s game. She stared at the ground, trying to figure out the best solution to this problem. She wanted to play with Bridgette, but Bridgette was already playing a game. How could she fix this?

An idea sparked in her brain. Her head snapped back up to Bridgette, eyes wide and shining with hope. “Well, then can I join your game?”

“Okay!” Bridgette said. She picked up her doll, and held her out to the approaching child.

Marinette snatched the doll from Bridgette’s grasp and sat down across from her sister. She ran her hand through the doll's black hair and asked, “What do we do now?”

“Sally is climbing a mountain on a Bear so Emily can help her,” Bridgette answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

Marinette tilted her head. A mountain? “Well, why is she climbing a mountain?”

“Because she has to get the magic sword, of course!” Bridgette responded. “If she gets the magic sword, then she can save Paris from the evil dragon and battle with superheros.”

“How is a sword gonna save people?” Marinette said.

“Because,” Bridgette explained, “this sword has the power to grant you a wish! So Sally is going to use it to wish that all the bad Dragon would disappear!”

As the information absorbed into Marinette’s brain, a grin spread across her face. She stared at Bridgette with a determined expression, her blue eyes sparkling with innocence. “Alright, then! Let’s go save Paris!”  
____________________________________________  
Marinette’s eyes gazed unseeing at the grass below her. She leaned forward, drawing her back away from the wooden walls of her house as she pulled her legs in close to her body. Her head fell into her arms. With white knuckles, she gripped her elbows as if that would stop the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

She was fourteen. And she just witnessed everyone who ever cared about her explode. Only reversed thanks to a certain time Akuma.

She was fourteen. She just saw the deaths of her friends and family. But no one knew except her.

She still had to go to school tomorrow and take that algebra quiz. Because to everyone else, nothing changed. The world went on in its mundane state just like it always did. To everyone else, it was just another crappy day with an exam. Nothing changed. Nothing to anyone except Marinette.

The sound of footsteps carefully making their way along the weed-covered lawn momentarily distracted Marinette from her cycle of depression. She sat there, tense, already knowing who was there.

The footsteps finally halted next to Marinette. She waited for her to make the first move, say the first thing, start the “you should trust me more” lecture. Like she always did.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she sat down next to her, leaned against the side of the house, and stared up at the sky.

It was so...odd. Bridgette, not lecturing. Just sitting there calm. Waiting. And suddenly, everything made sense. Why she always made sure to shove Marinette in a small, deserted area when a akuma appeared. Why she constantly distracted Mom and Dad when she transformed.

She had always been waiting. This entire time, it was so obvious. How could he have missed this? She knew, probably right from the start. All the lectures, the badgering, and annoying positivity that made her want to scream—it was all an act. It was her way of supporting her without making it obvious why. Because she knew and she couldn’t tell her.

Because she was waiting.

“How long?” Marinette asked.

“Huh?” she said, startled.

“How long have you known? About Ladybug? About me ?”

She paused. “Right after the Zombizou incident. I saw you transform in the school.”

“Oh,” Marinette said, unsure how to react to the news. She shouldn’t have been surprised it had been so long. But for some reason it bothered her. No, it disappointed her. How oblivious she was. 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” she asked. She needed her response. She needed to hear her say it.

“I wanted to let you tell me on your own,” Bridgette replied. “How did you figure out I knew?”

Marinette shifted, pulling her legs into a criss-crossed position as she shoved her hands into her sweatshirt pocket. She pulled out a doll and handed it to Bridgette.

She stared at the doll in her fingers, eyebrows drawn together. “Where did you get this from?”

Right. She didn’t remember.

No one did.

“There was a Akuma today,” Marinette said, eyes trained to the ground. “You don’t remember it because the Miraculous Cure reversed everything but...it was bad. Really bad, Bridgette ” Her gaze shifted up to the sky, and she cracked a smile.

“Okay,” Bridgette said, processing the information. 

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she said. Her smile fell as her gaze dropped back to the ground. “I mean, I will be. I don’t know.”

“Be honest with me then.”

“I—” Marinette’s voice faltered. “No. I’m sorry, Bridgette. I messed up. If it weren’t for the Miraculous Cure…”

“Do you wanna...talk about it?” Bridgette asked.

“No.” Marinette shook her head. “I...I’m sorry. I’ll be okay. I promise. I just...need a few days. I think. And, like, a ton of ice cream.”

The corner of Bridgette’s mouth twitched up. “I’m not sure if we have ice cream in the house, but Mom just made a batch of cookies if you want.”

“Whatever works,” Marinette said, making no attempt to stand.

The duo lapsed back into silence, taking in the calm spring day. Birds fluttered above them, building their nests for the eggs they would soon lay. A distant buzzing noise indicated the bees that had recently left their sleepy nests in search of pollen. Down the street, Marinette heard the voices of children playing.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Marinette said, breaking the spell.

“Don’t apologize,” Bridgette said. “I’m sorry our home environment makes it so you felt you had to keep Ladybug a secret.”

“It’s not your fault, Bridgette,” Marinette refuted.

“I know, but still. Even though I wish you confided in me sooner, I’m proud of everything you’ve done on your own.”

Marinette tilted her head. “I mean, I haven’t really been alone. I’ve had Alya, Nino, and Adrien.”

“Don’t devalue the hard work you’ve done, Marinette,” Bridgette said. “You’re doing amazing stuff, little sis. I’m really proud of you.”

“Yeah?” Marinette said, her eyes widening.

“Yeah.” Bridgette nodded. “You’ve helped so many people, Marinette. Not just anyone can do that. It takes someone with a strong heart to put themselves in situations again and again, expecting nothing in return, just for the sake of helping people. You realize how many people are capable of this? Not many. And no one like you.”

Marinette ducked her head, her ears peppered with red. “I’m not all that great.”

“You are though!” Bridgette refuted. “Are you kidding me? Mari, you’re amazing. I’m so proud of you. And I know that Mom and Dad, if they knew it was you, they would be really proud too.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Marinette said, standing. Her legs groaned in protest, and she shook out the pins-and-needles feeling before turning to Bridgette.“You said Mom made cookies, right?”

Bridgette raised her eyebrows. “Well, she did. I don’t know if Dad left any for us though.”

Marinette held out a hand. “Dad’s at the store. Hasn’t come back yet. And I’ve had a crappy day, so I could really use some junk food right now. Wanna help me demolish the plate before Dad gets back?”

Bridgette grabbed Marinette’s hand, allowing her to pull her up. She turned towards the door. “Oh, you’re on!”


End file.
